The Nigeria Labour Congress has warned of possible nationwide protests and an election boycott over what it described as uncertainty surrounding the Senate’s stance on electronic transmission of election results in the amended Electoral Act.
In a statement on Sunday, NLC President Joe Ajaero accused the Senate of creating confusion through conflicting explanations on whether electronic transmission of results would be mandatory, a situation he said could erode public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
The labour body demanded that the National Assembly provide an immediate and clear explanation of the exact provisions passed, including the final wording of the amendment and the rationale behind the decision.
According to the NLC, ambiguity over the role of electronic transmission threatens electoral integrity and could undermine transparency, insisting that Nigerians deserve a system where votes are not only counted but visibly verifiable.
The controversy followed the Senate’s passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill after rejecting a proposal to make real-time electronic transmission of results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal compulsory.
Instead, the Senate retained the existing provision that allows INEC to determine the mode of transmission, a move that has attracted criticism from civil society groups and opposition figures who fear it could open the door to manipulation ahead of future elections.
The position also contrasts with that of the House of Representatives, which had earlier endorsed mandatory electronic transmission, making harmonisation necessary before the bill is forwarded to the President for assent.
Reacting to the backlash, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the upper chamber did not discard electronic transmission but removed the “real-time” clause to allow flexibility, citing technical and network limitations.
The NLC, however, insisted that the amended law must clearly compel INEC to electronically transmit and collate results from polling units, warning that failure to do so could trigger mass action before, during and after elections.
The Congress also stressed that Nigerians are closely monitoring developments and urged lawmakers to prioritise transparency and credibility in the electoral system.
